Retiring

Brighter Skies on the Way

Happy Saturday, crafty friends! It’s a rainy (and cold) day here in North Texas, and I’m playing catchup after a very busy end to the week. And with the weather as dreary as it is, I have my head in the clouds — the rain clouds, that is — and that works perfectly into this week’s design theme of all about nature.

This design is a combination of some of my favorite patterned paper — Everyday Skies — with two of my favorite pick-me-up stamp bundles — Playing in the Rain and Bright Skies. Both of these stamp bundles are on the current Last Chance list, so if you love them as much as I do, now is the time to swipe them for your stash! For today’s design, we’re keeping it pretty simple because these three products work super well together.

We get started with a base of Copper Clay cardstock. I really love how this pulled out the darker elements in the Everyday Skies paper but in a way that lends itself to our encouraging message. To add a touch of whimsy to the card to pair with our cute fox from the Playing in the Rain set, I chose to stamp the larger cloud from the Bright Skies stamp set onto black cardstock and then heat emboss in black before diecutting with the coordinating die. I add some rain in the area underneath where I intended to affix my cloud by heat embossing the stamped raindrops in clear powder and then affixed my cloud with dimensionals.

Next up, I worked on my focal character — the cute fox from the Playing in the Rain set. I stamped him in black onto Calypso Coral so that the space around the image would blend into the backdrop. I colored the fox with Stampin’ Blends before diecutting with the coordinating die. To ensure that the end of his tail had nice contrast, I used my Versamark pen to heat emboss the tip of the tail with white embossing powder. I used a couple of the ombre matte dots for buttons. I stamped the sentiment from Bright Skies in Blackberry Bliss ink and then affixed the fox to the right of the sentiment and used two layers of dimensionals so our character really stood front and center in the scene. I added a few two tone sparkle gems in the clouds for just a little added sparkly drama.

I really love the challenge of pairing products in my stash and I think this one turned out smashingly well. We’re going to continue our nature tour by using a sketch. I hope you’ll drop back by later to check it out.

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Botanicals

The Best

It’s wonderful Wednesday and we’re halfway through the week. And it was quite the busy hump day for me today. Between performing a set for my professional music group and plugging away at work, it was a go-go-go day today! But in a few down moments, I thought about how we could use some of our newer goodies in the crafty stash to give a little ode to spring, and I think the Thankful Garden bundle definitely does the trick!

I don’t know about you, but there are certain sets — and florals, in particular — where I like to do a bit of research on color patterns and combinations to help with a more realistic look. And I knew I wanted to have more pink in the hydrangeas today. I think the combination of Flirty Flamingo, Pretty in Pink, and Melon Mambo is perfect for pulling out all of the subtle shading in these flower bunches.

We get started with a base of Berry Burst cardstock and use a sheet of the lighter pink floral pattern from the Unbounded Beauty patterned paper pack as the mat for our focal panel. Using the Thankful Garden stamps, I stamped a floral bunch in each of the corners and used the decorative masks to color them. I stamped a full bunch of hydrangea on a separate sheet of paper, shaded using masks, and then cut it out with the coordinating dies. I stamped a portion of the floral bunch two more times, shaded, and then diecut with the smaller detail die from the Thankful Garden dies to create a more realistic-looking floret to serve as our focal point in the center. Layering the dimensionals really helps with the more realistic look and feel to the hydrangea stem. The sentiment from the Pattern of Friendship set is stamped in black on white cardstock and then diecut with the smaller sentiment die in the Autumn Leaves die set. I stamped an identical panel from the berry Beautiful Bokeh and then cut it in half and mounted it under the sentiment panel to serve as a mat. I added a few pink Blooming Pearls for an eye-catching pop of sheen. The sentiment panel is adhered with dimensionals to help it catch the eye. I finished things off by adding some floral centers of foiled regal dots across our hydrangea florets.

Although it was pretty challenging to figure out the proper orientation of the smaller detail die for the hydrangea, once I did, it was a breeze to get the detail pieces cut. And to help myself remember the orientation the next time, I marked the image in my stamp case. A similar hack works well for the placement of the decorative masks.

I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow as we continue our ode to nature!

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Masculine Designs

Masculine Birthday Wishes

This week, we’re designing around the theme of nature. And I can’t think of a better way to reflect nature than with a mountain scene! The beautiful Grove collections (In the Grove and Grassy Grove) by Stampin’ Up! are perfect for creating beautiful scenic panels like this one.

We get started with a base of Early Espresso cardstock. The background panel of the darker woodgrain sheet from the Country Woods paper pack is matted with a sheet of the Old Olive Season of Elegance paper. The sentiment from Simply Said is heat embossed in gold centered underneath the focal panel. The mountain scene is stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock using a combination of gray and green shades. The mountain stamp is from In the Grove, while the grasses are a combination of In the Grove and Grassy Grove stamps. I filled in the shading of the sky and grass with a combination of blending brushes but chose to simply use them as they sat in my storage bin for an even subtler shading effect. I used the birds from the all-too-fun Friendly Seagulls stamp set to add realism to the sky above the mountain range. The scenic panel is mounted on Basic Black cardstock and then affixed to the background panel. I wrapped some gold thread around the panel before affixing it to the card base. A few copper sequins from the neutrals set add a touch of sparkle to draw the eye to the sentiment.

This is one design that didn’t need a single dimensional. And if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know how rarely that happens! *snicker* This is the perfect design for a quick masculine design and could be suitable for any number of occasions.

I hope you’ll pop in tomorrow to check out an ode to spring!

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Uncategorized

Celebrate!

Welcome to a bright & shiny new week, everybody! I don’t know about you, but my weekend was BUSY! I spent a lot of time catching up on the homefront after being gone for training in the middle of the week. And my best laid plans for having time in the craft room totally went awry.

This week, I’ve decided to pick back up with last week’s design theme — nature. We’ll be looking at all of the current sets on the shelf this week to work in our theme. And today we’re getting started with the lovely floral bundle called Layers of Beauty, which includes stamps, dies, and coordinating decorative masks. I’ve borrowed the layout from fellow demo Stamping Beauty (@stampingbeautynz).

We get started with a base of Melon Mambo cardstock. The focal panel background is a sheet of the pinkish Beautiful Bokeh pattern and matted in Berry Burst glimmer paper. The focal panel itself is a sheet of the Lovely Garden paper that is cut with the Textured Notes dies and affixed slightly askew. I stamped the full Layers of Beauty image in Early Espresso ink and then colored using the masks and an assortment of pinks and greens. The image is cut out using the coordinating die and then affixed to the focal panel with dimensionals over a twist of Summer Splash ribbon and silver trim. I cut a few sprigs of leaves from Summer Splash cardstock with the Layers of Beauty dies and then tucked them behind the raised focal image. The sentiment is cut from silver foil and Berry Burst cardstock using the Wanted to Say dies and then mounted with dimensionals over the focal image. A few iridescent faceted gems finish things off with some subtle sparkle.

I must say that I wasn’t a huge fan of the decorative masks when they first came out, but they’ve really grown on me. Using them to color images makes quick work of beautiful shading — something that I’m not always the best at! Have you tried a bundle that includes masks? What are your thoughts on them? I’d love to know!

I hope you’ll pop in tomorrow as we revisit an older stamp set for a more masculine design that’s most certainly all about nature!

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Botanicals

Heartfelt Thanks

This week, we’re trolling through the crafting stash and creating designs that are nature-themed. I love this theme because (1) I get to revisit some of my favorite older sets and (2) it makes it a little easier for me to whip up cards during a work travel week.

Today, we keep the layout simple. We’re once again combining the Sale-a-Bration paper called Bloom Impressions and this time I’ve pulled the Mixed Media Florals Memories & More pack for the focal image and sentiment. I love having Memories & More products in my stash because they make it quick and easy to create lovely cards in a jiffy.

We get started with a base of Crushed Curry cardstock and layer a sheet of the yellow floral pattern from the Bloom Impressions paper pack as the backdrop. The focal panel consists of two circle panel that are diecut using the Spotlight on Nature dies—one from red Festive glimmer paper and one from a foiled sheet of Nature’s Sweetness designer paper. I chose the small floral bunch from the Memories & More sticker sheet as the focal image and layered a sentiment from the sticker sheet on top. I added a twist of Cherry Cobbler & Gold metallic ribbon and Daffodil Delight satin ribbon behind the focal image for a little extra pop of red and yellow. Some red iridescent discs add another little element of sparkle and tie the red elements together.

I’ll be taking a break for a couple of days while I’m out of town attending a training event. Although I contemplated crafting on the road, the packed schedule for the conference just didn’t allow the free time. So I’ll see you Friday for more nature inspiration!

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Fun Folds

Thinking of You Fun Fold

With spring making its appearance here in North Texas, it seemed appropriate to have this week’s designs hone in on a nature theme. And it also seemed like the perfect way to revisit some of my favorite sets that may soon find themselves fully retired.

We get started this week with a fun fold design that features the Simply Zinnia dies and the Bloom Impressions patterned paper. I used a simple fold-back skinny z-panel design for this card to really bring emphasis to the fun panel of diecut flowers.

We started with a base of Pretty in Pink cardstock. I’m using the standard A2 size but folding the front card panel back a little over an inch on the right side to create the slender z-panel effect. I used a sheet of the pink Bloom Impressions patterned paper from the most recent Sale-a-Bration catalog to cover the front and inside panels.

For the focal panel affixed to the slender fold-back panel, I started with a sheet of the pink Beautiful Bokeh paper and diecut it with the Textured Notes dies and then cut a nesting white panel using the next smallest die. I decided to keep the color palette of the zinnias very simple and chose to use Melon Mambo as the featured hue. I used Peach Pie as the floral centers with the surrounding disc and ray florets being Crushed Curry. The stems are cut from Mossy Meadow. The flowers and floral elements are all cut with the Simply Zinnia dies. I layered the flowers with a combination of dimensionals and glue dots to create a more realistic look. The sentiment from Everyday Greetings is stamped in black on white cardstock and cut out with paper snips and affixed with dimensionals. I added some In Color shimmer gems as floral centers and then scattered a few Sunny Days iridescent dots for a little extra pop of pink.

Tomorrow we’re going to continue our ode to nature by sticking to the garden path. I hope you’ll pop by and take a look!

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birthday

Day to Celebrate

We’re winding up our spring break week, and although it’s been a little windy, we’ve had beautiful weather to enjoy our time together. I worked the end of the week, so getting back into the groove has been a little challenging with us mostly being off our regular schedule. But hopefully we’ll all get back in the swing next week.

Today, I had a little time to whip up a simple birthday card. Not only does the kiddo have a birthday coming up, but we have several of his friends to celebrate with, as well. So I turned to the cute Wildflower Birthday paper pack for design inspiration for this card.

We get started with a base of Summer Splash cardstock. I cut a piece of the Lovely Garden polka dot paper using the Textured Notes dies to serve as the backdrop for the focal panel. Next up is the focal panel which is a sheet of the Wildflower Birthday foiled paper cut with the Perennial Postage dies. I fussy cut a cupcake from one of the smaller diecut elements from the birthday paper pack as the focal image and matted it with a gold foil circle cut with the Spotlight on Nature dies. I love how this really makes the cupcake pop against the fun patterns of the background. A twist of Summer Splash bordered ribbon gives that extra pop of color and pulls the eye to the center of the design. The sentiment from Day to Celebrate is stamped in Summer Splash on white cardstock and diecut using the Mixed Labels dies. A few Sunny Day iridescent dots add a subtle glimmer on either side of the focal panel.

I intentionally made this card in a more neutral color palette so the kiddo could give it to any one of his friends who is celebrating a birthday without having to worry about it being too girly or too masculine. This layout is one that is simple to replicate for any number of occasions, which makes this one a layout for the sketch book!

Next week is all about nature. I hope you’ll come along with me as we take a tour through the crafty stash to see what we can whip up with this theme.

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Vacation

4 Paws Up

We are enjoying our spring break family time. So much so that I haven’t spent any time crafting. I thought I might have some down time here and there, but we’ve been on the go and having a ball! Today we’re back home from our woodsy adventures and I took just a few minutes to whip up a super cute thank you card for our house/pet sitter using the Meow Mates background stamp. One of the things I love about making cards is being able to tailor a design to a recipient, so naturally I had to incorporate our sitter’s favorite color — PINK — into this design!

We get started with a base of Melon Mambo cardstock. I stamped the Meow Mates background in black on white cardstock and adhered to a mat of Pretty in Pink and then adhered to the card base. I had a leftover Meow Mates image from another project and used it to punch a portion to pop up on the focal panel. I chose kitties that most represented ours — both in fur pattern and personality — and then used a whole slew of Stampin’ Blends to color in the images in the smaller circle panel. I used the (retired) Everyday Details dies to cut a sparkly mat of Pretty in Pink glimmer paper to mat the focal panel. The sentiment from the new Online Exclusive School Days stamp set is stamped in Melon Mambo on white cardstock and then diecut into a banner shape using the Adventurous Sky die. I used the Nested Essentials dies to cut a banner mat from Pretty in Pink cardstock. In between the layers, I put a twist of Pretty in Pink bordered ribbon. I finished things off with In Color shimmer gems and shiny sequins across the panel.

I don’t have a particular design theme for this week, unless you count RANDOM as a theme. *snicker* Break weeks always have me flying by the seat of my pants. So that’s what the ol’ crafty projects will reflect this week! But I hope you’ll pop in to see what comes next.

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Online Exclusives · Pattern of Friendship

Joy & Laughter

TGIF, everybody! We’ve made it to the end of the week. And it’s certainly been a busy one. Finishing up the work week and packing for a trip is no small task, and that completely put me off schedule yesterday. But in between packing and cleaning today in preparation for our family spring break trip, I squeezed in a little time to make this cutie.

This week, we’ve been exploring all of the cute ways that we can use the new Pattern of Friendship bundle from Stampin’ Up! And today, we’re pairing it up with the Bright Skies and Playing in the Rain dies to make this chipper scene. I also tried a new stamp technique to create an ombré effect with the sentiment and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out!

This design starts with a base of white cardstock. I love how it makes the scene really pop. The scene is built on a base of Balmy Blue cardstock. I wanted the grassy hills to look like they were freshly mowed and so I began by using the Pattern of Friendship die to make the mower lines in the Lemon Lime Twist panel before cutting the hills using the Bright Skies long cloud die. I already had the flowers cut from a previous project — they’re a combination of Mossy Meadow and Pretty in Pink. I adhered the grass and flowers with dimensionals and create depth with different heights. I added a few clouds to the sky that are cut from Graceful Greenery vellum with the Bright Skies dies. The sentiment is stamped in between in Misty Moonlight that is stamped off using different pressure across the stamp to create an ombré look to the stamped sentiment. I finished things off by cutting a butterfly from the pastel ombré glimmer paper using the Playing in the Rain dies and added two tone sparkle gems to the wings to give some definition to the butterfly. A few starburst sequins finish things off with a little detailed sparkle.

I’ll be taking tomorrow off to enjoy some time with the family. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I’ll be popping in on Monday to bring you a perfectly festive design. ☘️ I hope you’ll check it out!

Products used in today’s card:
Basic White, Balmy Blue, Lemon Lime Twist, Mossy Meadow, Pretty in Pink cardstock
Graceful Greenery vellum, pastel ombré glimmer paper
Pattern of Friendship bundle
Bright Skies, Playing in the Rain dies
Two tone sparkle gems, starburst sequins
Dimensionals

Online Exclusives · Pattern of Friendship

Let’s Keep in Touch

We’re already halfway through this week, folks! My fellow demos are off to North Carolina for the annual Stampin’ Up! convention. And I’m here at home prepping for a little spring break adventure with the fam in just a few days. Needless to say, I’m actually a little sad that this week is halfway gone!

This week, our designs feature the new Online Exclusive bundle called Pattern of Friendship. I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with different ways to use this fun set. Today we’re pairing it up with the Hot Air Balloon dies and Everyday Skies paper. See if you can spot where the fun texture die comes into play.

We get started with a base of white cardstock. I chose white to provide contrast with the focal panel. Our focal panel starts with a piece of Petal Pink glimmer paper that is diecut with the Textured Notes dies. This serves as the eye-catching mat for our focal sheet of Everyday Skies patterned paper that is diecut with the Perennial Postage dies. I cut two hot air balloons with the Hot Air Balloon dies. And for a fun little twist, I add texture to both balloons with the Pattern of Friendship die and the Painted Texture embossing folder. To give some dimension to the scene, I adhered the balloons on dimensionals of different heights. I added a few clouds that I cut from Graceful Greenery vellum using the Hot Air Balloon dies. The sentiment from Pattern of Friendship is stamped in Cajun Craze on white cardstock and then cut with the small banner die from the Countryside Corners dies. I scattered some shiny sequins across the panel for some eye-catching sparkle.

We’ll look for more fun ways to make patterns as we continue our design series through the week. I hope you’ll stop in and check it out.

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